Canada cancels export permits for drone technology to Turkey

Foreign affairs minister says review found ‘credible evidence’ technology was used by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Canada has cancelled export permits to Turkey for drone technology, the foreign affairs department announced, after a government review found that Canadian-made systems had been used by Azerbaijan in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said the review “found credible evidence” that Canadian technology was used in the disputed territory during six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia late last year. In early October, Canada suspended the export permits to Turkey after reports surfaced that the Azerbaijani military, which was backed by Ankara, was using drone imaging and targeting sensor systems manufactured by a Canadian company.